Eldredge Nixes Quad, But Still Places First In Men’s Qualifying

He fell. He didn’t even consider trying a quadruple jump. And world champion Todd Eldredge still outskated Canada’s Elvis Stojko, his top competitor in the first qualifying round of the World Figure Skating Championships on Sunday.

Eldredge, the U.S. champion, completed seven clean triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations, to top Stojko and qualify to defend his 1996 title - probably without the quad.

“I am going to take that risk and hope it’s enough,” Eldredge said. “If it’s not enough then it’s something to thing about for the Olympics next year.

The jump remained the focus of qualifications for the men’s short program on Wednesday.

In the second round, the Russians soared.

European champion Alexei Urmanov hit an astonishing high-flying quad with a jumping ease he hasn’t displayed since breaking a leg training in 1992. Ilya Kulik, the No. 2 skater in the world, matched the quad. but Urmanov had him raised a triple with six.

American Michael Weiss, whose quadruple at U.S. nationals last month was disqualified because of a slight two-footed landing, didn’t try the jump, placing fourth in the second qualifying heat behind the Russians and France’s Eric Millot.